Threatened Arctic Lakes: Pressures from Climate Change and
Resource Development Lindsey Witthaus Department of Environmental
Engineering University of Kansas Ashley Zung Department of
Geography University of Kansas RESEARCH OBJECTIVES 1) summarize our
current understanding of the mechanisms that drive thermokarst lake
drainage by reviewing literature on the topic, from both western
science and indigenous perspectives; 2) analyze the factors that
contribute to lake drainage in an area of northwestern Canada and
determine the potential for lake drainage in the region; and 3)
evaluate current water resource policies in the Northwest
Territories to determine how (or if) lakes and also traditional
ecological knowledge are included in the policies. Mechanisms of
Lake Drainage Potential Impacts of Oil and Gas Development Water
Use Policy in the Northwest Territories BACKGROUND Lakes are a
dominant feature of the arctic landscape in Northern Canada. There
are over 45,000 thermokarst lakes in the Mackenzie Drainage Basin.
Lakes are essential habitats. They serve as support systems for
arctic food webs year-round, and provide key resources for human
communities, such as freshwater, locations to hunt waterfowl during
migratory seasons and to fish year-round, and navigation routes
through the tundra to hunting camps Northwest Territories Water Act
(1992) is the central water Mackenzie Valley Resource Management
Act (1998) establishes a co-management framework for land and water
regulations between First Nation Tribes. in relation to waters when
on or flowing through their first nation lands or waters adjacent
to their first nation lands, the right to have the quality,
quantity and rate of flow remain substantially unaltered by any
person (Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act - S.C. 1998, c. 25
(Section 75)). Northwest Territories Northern Voices, Northern
Waters: Water Stewardship Strategy integrates traditional knowledge
systems into the NWT water management plans. Potential Impacts of
Climate Change In this analysis, we focused on the effect of
climate on permafrost degradation which can lead to thermokarst
creation and lateral lake drainage, especially in ice-rich
permafrost zones such as the Tuktoyaktuk Peninsula. Long-term
climate data from stations at Tuktoyaktuk and Inuvik were obtained
from Canadas National Climate Archive at
http://www.climate.meteo.gc.ca/climateData/canada_e.html)
http://www.climate.meteo.gc.ca/climateData/canada_e.html) MAT and
MWT at Tuktoyaktuk increased 4.3 C and 3.7 C, respectively.
Increased MAT and MWT have been associated with increased
permafrost thaw rates in modeling and observational studies across
the Arctic. There was a lack of long-term data from Inuvik, and we
cannot confidently comment on climatic trends at that location. MAP
from 1974-2007 was 164.7 mm, varying from 89.1 mm to 248.7 mm. The
ten year running average of MAP confirms that precipitation
decreased during the period of record. Average winter snow cover
was 189.5, ranging from 75 cm in 1985 to 377.7 cm in 1981. Ten year
running averages show snow cover has also decreased. Decreased
precipitation and snow thickness may retard permafrost degradation.
Annual precipitation anomaly averaged + 4.5 mm from 1974-2007. A
positive annual precipitation anomaly could support lake area
expansion; however, high inter-annual variability could still
significantly alter surface water hydrology in the region. IPCC
global climate projections anticipate 5C warming in the arctic by
2080. Increased temperatures have the potential to alter permafrost
and regional hydrology accelerating lake drainage. In order to
assess the potential impact of human activity on lake drainage on
the Tuktoyaktuk Peninsula, we focused the proposed Parsons Lake Gas
Processing Facility and gathering pipeline. Assuming a 1 km area
around the proposed pipeline route, and that the entire lease area
near Parsons Lake would be impacted, we estimated that at least 250
lakes in the area would be directly impacted by construction of the
facility. We would expect many more to be impacted considering the
interconnected nature of deranged drainage networks. The proposed
62,500 square meter gas conditioning facility north of Parsons Lake
includes tanks, pump houses, living quarters, and a drilling pad.
Extraction of natural gas and oil have caused land subsidence in
the Arctic and warming of excess ground ice, causing further
subsidence. Human constructs alter snow cover dynamics on the
tundra, and construction and maintenance of the facility would
disrupt vegetative cover further accelerating permafrost thaw,
likely promoting permafrost degradation and lake drainage, and
undoubtedly altering hydrological networks. Increased temperatures
can cause permafrost melting and an influx of runoff into
thermokarst lakes. The heat flux can both further thaw surrounding
permafrost around and below the lake, resulting in larger lake
areas and deeper talik. As the talik develops deeper below the lake
it can eventually reach the groundwater table and hydraulic
potential will cause subsurface drainage of the lake. Rising
temperature can degrade permafrost and cause erosion and slumping
of lake edges and stream channels. As stream channels open from the
lake, rapid drainage can occur. Slumping and Declining Lake Levels
William Paul (at Wilsons Camp): A tree has fallen in, really
changing now. Really dried out the lake. Interview conducted by
Trevor Bennett September 12, 2010. Open Channel Partially Drains
Lake William Paul: Used to be a little water fall there, it was
like a tap, now its wide open. This happened maybe in 2008? It
really fell in. Interview conducted by Trevor Bennett September 12,
2010 Study Area Northern Canada Parsons Lake Study Area Proposed
Mackenzie Gas Project Pipeline and Facilities The Tuktoyaktuk
Peninsula is located near the mouth of the Mackenzie River in the
Northwest Territories, Canada. Arctic tundra here is underlain by
the most ice-rich continuous permafrost in the Canadian Arctic
(Lantuit & Pollard 2007). Pingos and arctic lakes dot the
landscape. The Mackenzie Gas Project is a consortium of oil and gas
companies, who have proposed construction of a 1,196 km pipeline
system running through the Northwest Territories from the Arctic
Ocean to northern Alberta (Imperial Oil, Limited 2003). The
proposed Parsons Lake Gas Conditioning Facility would be built on
the Arctic coastal plain, a landscape dominated by glaciofluvial
and lacustrine sediments and numerous thermokarst lakes. Images
from Inuvialuit Observations CONCLUSIONS Rising air temperature,
increased snow cover, and negative precipitation anomalies increase
permafrost thaw rates and may accelerate lake drainage in the
Arctic. Human alteration of the landscape through vehicular
traffic, removal of vegetation, construction of barriers, and other
activities can further accelerate permafrost degradation and
potentially lake drainage. Increasing MAT and MWT and construction
of the gathering pipeline and gas processing facility around
Parsons Lake may significantly alter subsurface thermal regimes,
leading to permafrost degradation. Possible subsidence and lake
drainage of 250 lakes could significantly alter surface hydrology.
Observations from northern Canadian indigenous communities indicate
that rapid change is already occurring due to climate change and
development. Further lake drainage and alteration of regional
hydrology due to climate change and the Mackenzie Gas Project may
be critically threaten to the livelihoods and culture of people who
live there. While the Canadian Government may claim that they are
powerless to reverse global climate change and the inevitable
changes that will occur to water resources in First Nations
communities, the Government does have an active role in approving
development projects and natural resource extraction activities
within its territories. The impacts of the Mackenzie Gas Project
could be significant, seriously altering water and food resources,
seemingly in contrast to the rights set forth in the Mackenzie
Valley Resource Management Act. We have several concluding
questions: 1.What will be the consequences of the Mackenzie Valley
Project for the people living downstream of the project (i.e. the
people living in the Inuvialuit Settlement Area)? 2.Will the right
to unaltered water quality and quantity be enforced by the Canadian
government? 3.If and when additional changes to water occur will
the Indigenous voices be heard? LAKE DRAINAGE IN GREENLAND
Catastrophic lake drainage is also a problem in Greenland In warmer
years supraglacial meltwater lakes are 3.5 times more likely to
drain due to fractures in lake bed, which carry water to ice sheet
bed (Liang et al. 2012) Diagram: University of Chicago
http://geosci.uchicago.edu/research/glaciology_files/meltpond_formation_rese
arch.shtml
http://geosci.uchicago.edu/research/glaciology_files/meltpond_formation_rese
arch.shtml Photo: Credit: James Balog